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Schuck Receives National Player Of The Year Award

Kyle Schuck, a 6-2, 180 lb. senior wide receiver from Cherokee, Iowa, was named the 2013 Rawlings-NAIA National Football Player of the Year at the NAIA Banquet of Champions held Dec. 20 in Rome, Ga.

Schuck is the first football player in Morningside history to receive the honor in the 17-year history of the award.

“It is a great honor to receive this award considering all the other finalist that had great seasons,” said Schuck. “I could not have achieved this award without the help of my team or my coaches. My teammates have become family to me and our accomplishments have achieved with be a forever memory.”

Schuck, the 2013 Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Offensive Player of the Year, was named to the Beyond Sports Network (BSN) and American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) NAIA Coaches’ All-America Teams earlier this year.
His exploits helped lead Morningside to an 11-2 record this season. The Mustangs won their third consecutive GPAC championship and made their 10th consecutive post-season appearance in the NAIA Championship Series, where they advanced to the semifinals.

Schuck was one of the most prolific pass receivers in the nation this season with 75 receptions for 1,419 yards and a school-record 21 touchdowns. Schuck averaged 18.9 yards per catch and was the NAIA national leader with his 1,419 reception yards and 21 touchdown receptions. He ranked third nationally with an average of 109.2 reception yards per game. Schuck’s 1,419 reception yards is the second highest single-season total in Morningside history, while his 75 receptions is the seventh highest total in the Morningside record book.

Aside from leading the Mustangs in pass receiving, Schuck was also their leading scorer with 126 points.

He was the Mustangs’ leading pass receiver in eight of their 13 contests. Schuck had six 100-yard reception games this season, including a career-best 12-catch, 202-yard performance in the Mustangs’ 48-10 victory against Nebraska Wesleyan University. Schuck had six receptions for 162 yards and a school-record four touchdown catches in the Mustangs’ 67-0 triumph against Briar Cliff University.

Schuck finished his career as Morningside’s all-time touchdown leader with 47 career touchdowns. He amassed career totals of 173 receptions for 3,008 yards and 47 touchdowns for an average of 17.4 yards per catch. Schuck ranks second in Morningside history with his 3,008 career reception yards and fifth with 173 career receptions. Schuck ended his career with a streak of 25 consecutive games with a pass reception.